Improvement in supporters and pessaries



www' Qmmgwa PATENT@ JUN 27 1871 PATENT OEEIoE.

HENRY sPILLMANN, 0E NEW oELEANs, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SUPPORTERS AND PESSARIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,368, dated June 27, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SPILLMANN, of the city of New Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new, useful, and Improved Abdominal Supporter with a Uterine-Supportin g Attachment; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making a part of this specification, on which it is shown in connection with the ends of the band which holds it in position on the body of the subject. Y

My invention consists, iirst, of a peculiarlyformed metallic frame-bar, to which the pad is secured, and which is provided at its two extremities with pins and screws for fixing, adjusting, and holding` the proximate slotted metallic levers or hip-plates rigidly at any desired angle or in any given position, and an elastic body-band is made to establish the connection between the said hip-plates and the said pad and frame-bar. To the abdominal supporter above mentioned and partially described is attached a uterine supporter or pessary of a peculiar and novel construction, and consisting mainly of two hollow rings, the lower one of which is vertically adjustable upon an upright hollow stem, having at its lower extremity a socket for the reception of a ball at the end of the bracket which forms the support of pessary and at the same time the means of attachment to the frame-bar of the abdominal supporter aforesaid. The upper ring, which is, in fact, the pessary proper, is bracketed to an upright stem resting upon a spring placed within the upright hollow stem, with socket before mentioned. But my improvement will be better understood and appreciated by reference to the drawing, on which all that I claim as of my invention is very clearly shown.

On the drawing, A is the metallic frame-bar to which I have referred, to which the pad B is secured, as shown. This frame should be made as light as is compatible with a due regard to strength, and securely fastened to the pad. The latter should be made of some soft pliable material in order to prevent chafmg or irritation of the parts of the body of the wearer with which it may come in contact. It is curved according to the size of the person for whom it is intended. At the extremities of the frame-bar A are pivoted the slotted levers or hip-plates G U', in such manner that they will articulate freely for adjustment upon the points of connection a a and b b. Each of these levers or hip-plates is provided with a slot, as shown, so that they can be adjusted on pins or screws b b, and thereby regulate the pressure on the pad according to the manner in which it is required to impinge upon the parts of the body to which it is applied. The body-band is composed of leather at its extremities in order the better to secure the hip-plates C C thereto; but elsewhere-that is to say, in its central portion--of India-rubber cloth or some other equally elastic fabric. That portion of leather is covered with some suitable cloth, with a view to render the band less liable to chafe or irritate the person of the wearer.

In the use of my supporter, if a very considerable pressure is necessary, the levers or hip-plates C C are adjusted on the pins b b by depressing the hip-plates as low as the slots will admit. If a less pressure is required the adjustment is as shown on the drawing-that is to say, the pins b b are placed in the center of the slots, and if only a moderate or gentle pressure is needed then the hip-plates are elevated to the highest point allowed by the slots therein. The pressure is thus reduced to such an extent as to make it almost inappreciableto the wearer, while yet'fully sufficient to relieve the depressing tendency of the abdomen-a contingencymore or less peculiar to females under certain conditional circumstances.

The above-described parts of my improved abdominal supporter are very simple in the results of their application to those of my improved truss patented September 7, 1869; but they are of more simple construction, more readily and conveniently applied in practice, and are likewise equally as economical in the cost of their manufacture.

D shows the stem-pessary, to which I have al-v at c render the movements of the supporter into whom the uterine supporter above described is inserted, or to whom it is applied, perfectly free to incline the body to any angle or position neeessary in all the movements of life. The iiexibility and elasticity of the ring E are intended ta avoid all undue pressure on the womb. The particular and special object of the lever-ring H is to give greater irmness and steadiness of position to the ring E above mentioned, and, furthermore, to prevent its liability to incline from its required position, and. thereby produce irritation or inflammation ot the parts with which it comes in contact in practice.

Having,1 thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. The metallic-stem pessary D, composed of two rings, E and H, the former havin g' a flexible elastic movement by resting upon a spring,` within or Without the stein or tube F, the latter being vertically adjustable, and the whole connected with the stein I by the universal `joint c, all 0f which, when constructed substantially as described.

2. The stem-pessary herein described, in combination with the abdominal supporter, composed ot' the frame A, pad B, elastic belt and hip-plates C Gf, pins c a! and I b', and the elongated apertures c c, substantially as herein described, and for the purposes set forth.

H. SPILLMANN.

'Witnesses L. J. OLMSTEAD, H. N. JENKINS. 

